AKR.L Share News (AKR)

Dow Jones smallcap news is now on Twitter, allowing you to catch up on the news away from your desk. Go to http://twitter.com/DJ_UK_Smallcaps MAJESTIC WINE PLC (MJW.LN), a U.K. wine warehouse chain, said Monday it expects to open 12 new stores this fiscal year, doubling the number it opened in the year just gone. "When the recession started a lot of people expected the property market to get easier but it didn't. But since Christmas it has got easier and now when we're dealing with retail property landlords we're finding that they want to do deals as quickly as possible," Chief Executive Steve Lewis told Dow Jones Newswires. At 1054 GMT, shares +17.5 pence, or 6.4%, at 290 pence. OXFORD BIOMEDICA PLC (OXB.LN), a biotechnology company, said two patients in a three-patient study of its experimental Parkinson's disease medicine ProSavin demonstrated a 30% improvement in motor function two years after getting treatment. The results of the two-year follow-up study justify ProSavin's continued development and further human trials, Oxford BioMedica said. Talks with potential partners for ProSavin are ongoing, the company added. At 1054 GMT, shares -0.1 pence, or 1%, at 9.9 pence. CHAUCER HOLDINGS PLC (CHU.LN), a Lloyd's of London insurer, said one of its insurance syndicates has formed an energy alliance in Latin America to provide control of well coverage for land-based drilling and producing wells for oil and gas operations in the region. At 1054 GMT, shares -0.25 pence, or 0.6%, at 43.75 pence. PLANT IMPACT PLC (PIM.LN) reported a narrower fiscal-year loss after license payments boosted revenue, and said it is seeking new deals. The company, which develops products designed to enhance crop yields and kill pests, said it is promoting its products to food producers and government agencies in an effort to grow sales but cautioned the agriculture industry is slow to change. At 1055 GMT, shares -0.5 pence, or 2.6%, at 19 pence. SUPERGROUP PLC (SGP.LN), a fashion retailer, said it has signed a franchise deal to open 13 stores in the United Arab Emirates during the next three years. The firm, owner of the SuperDry fashion label, said it has signed the franchise deal with Dubai-based Al Khayyat Investments LLC. At 1055 GMT, shares +2 pence, or 0.3%, at 672 pence. PHYTOPHARM PLC (PYM.LN) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given it approval to begin the phase II clinical trial of its experimental Parkinson's disease treatment Cogane. Phytopharm said the study will investigate the efficacy and safety of Cogane when it is administered for 28 weeks to patients with early stage Parkinson's disease. At 1055 GMT, shares +0.88 pence, or 10%, at 9.63 pence. DAIRY CREST GROUP PLC (DCG.LN), a U.K. dairy company, said it has reduced its stake in Wexford Creamery Ltd. to 30% from 80% as it looks to focus on its key brands, reduce its exposure to volatile commodity markets and pay down its debt. At 1056 GMT, shares +3.1 pence, or 0.8%, at 400.1 pence. KEWILL PLC (KWL.LN), a logistics software company, said it has acquired a Benelux-based software firm, Minihousel, for up to EUR20 million in cash. At 1056 GMT, shares flat at 124.25 pence. RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION LTD. (WIND.LN) said it has bought a 4.96 megawatt wind farm from E.ON Climate and Renewables UK Operations Ltd. for up to GBP4 million in cash. At 1057 GMT, shares flat at 52.5 pence. AKERS BIOSCIENCES INC. (AKR.LN), a diagnostic company, said it has signed a major distribution agreement with Fisher HealthCare to distribute its PIFA Heparin/PF4 Rapid Assay products. At 1057 GMT, shares +2.25 pence, or 21%, at 12.75 pence. STANELCO PLC (SEO.LN) said it got a 71.2% take-up to its open offer of shares in its bid to raise GBP3.5 million to develop its bioplastics business. At 1057 GMT, shares flat 0.13 pence. CINEWORLD GROUP PLC (CINE.LN) said it is partnering with a digital cinema technology firm to roll out digital projection facilities across all its U.K. screens. At 1057 GMT, shares flat at 178.5 pence. NYOTA MINERALS LTD (NYO.LN), an Africa-focused gold and nickel explorer, said it has completed a GBP3.44 million placement of new shares to International Finance Corp. At 1057 GMT, shares flat at 16.25 pence. AFRICAN CONSOLIDATED RESOURCES PLC (AFCR.LN) said it has signed a memorandum of understanding to develop its Pickstone Peerless gold mine with a group of mining experts. At 1058 GMT, shares +0.5 pence, or 5.3%, at 9.88 pence. DJ UK Smaller Cos +0.5% AIM +0.2% By Rachael Gormley, Jason Douglas & Hannah Benjamin, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9272; uksmallcaps@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 14, 2010 07:30 ET (11:30 GMT)